WESTVILLE, N.J. -
A raging house fire torched a home on 222 Chestnut Street.
The blaze was triggered by an explosion from what investigators are calling a "suspicious" natural gas leak.
The blast was so strong it was felt at least a half mile away.
"I thought my house was falling down on me so I ducked, " explained Tracy Cannon. "My daughter ran to the front door and she said the house across the street just blew up."
Late into Friday evening investigators used a backhoe to comb through the rubble looking for clues.
The hot water heater, gas meter and oven all pulled out of the Westville, New Jersey home.
Brian Cotelesa owns the house that exploded into a pile of smoldering, charred and splintered wood.
He says it's been vacant since his divorce about three years ago.
Cotelesa told us he was inside about two weeks ago getting it ready to put on the market for sale.
Friday he told investigators vandals recently stole metal piping from the home.
But police say the theft was never reported.
" 'I'm gracious no one was in it, says Cotelesa. "There was a stretcher on the right hand side so I'm panicking yelling oh my god really."
Because the cinder block foundation of the home was found scattered across the property, investigators believe the explosion triggered somewhere in or near the basement.
As authorities searched for answers, Westville residents reflected on the blast that sent part of the house's wall flying into a neighbors yard and left nothing but the front stair rail standing.
"It was very scary! Very scary . I thought it was going to blow again, " said Cannon.
There were early reports a man was seen running from the house that exploded
County authorities say that was a neighbor who's a local firefighter not a suspect.
ATF and other state investigators questioned the homeowner.
They're also planning on interviewing several neighbors.
